After the Showcase game nail-biter between Team USA and South Sudan, this was expected to be a heated battle between the best of the best and the underdogs. Well, it was a fierce one, as Kevin Durant and Co. tried to implement a bit of their physicality in between moments. In one of them, the dark horses’ head coach Royal Ivey was pissed off with the Slim Reaper, as he approached the free throw line, resulting in a heated exchange between them, and the whole world got to witness it.

“That’s brotherly love. I don’t lie; I tell the truth, “ Kevin Durant said, as he was going for a free throw attempt after he was fouled. As explained by the man of the hour, Royal Ivey himself, KD, and the Dream Team 2.0 were trying to foul the Sudanese national team. “They were fouling, and he got fouled, and he was like. ‘Play basketball!”

While recalling the heated situation, Ivey moved ahead, adding his response, “How are we supposed to play basketball? You are all playing touch like it’s football,” via BasketNews. Though Ivey revealed that he and Kevin Durant exchanged some words after that, the clip that went viral was surprising to hear. In the video, KD undermined the dark horses’ potential, as the Suns‘ star said, “Y’all ****** ain’t tough!” before going for the free throw.

It seems despite the blowout win for Team USA, the on-court mood was quite tense and heated for either side. Though addressing the whole situation as a coach, claiming how KD might’ve been arrogant, the South Sudan mastermind, who shares an old bond with the veteran, responded in a rather different way!

What was South Sudan’s coach’s reaction to KD’s verbal assault?

The verbal exchange might seem a lot, after the physical plays, followed by those expected furious comebacks. However, Royal Ivey had no such personal intentions to hurt Kevin Durant or anyone from Team USA with the trash talk. He confessed, “At the end of the day, that’s all brotherly love, and I love that dude. And you know, the feeling is mutual.” Interestingly, in case you didn’t know, both Durant and Ivey played for Texas Longhorns in college, in 2007, before their NBA stint together for Oklahoma City Thunder.

However, Royal Ivey did admit that his responding in such a bold way was not quite charming. He added, “So, you know, he said something to me. I’m a competitor. I’m a j**k back. You move on, you flush this, and we have another game to prepare for.” Just like that, South Sudan let go of the heatedly talked-about incident from the game.

What can be drawn from that interaction is just a burst of emotions in the heat of the moment. However, what’s inspiring is that both of them did not go out of bounds, and moved on easily. The head coach even went on to admit that, “I gotta be better as a leader.”After all, they’ve known each other for years, and maybe that’s why Ivey even decided to address this issue publicly.

What do you all think about this banter? Do comment with your thoughts below.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.